Hong Kong-mainland production Wu Xia, a martial-arts thriller directed by renowned Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Chan Ho-sun, won the best cinematographer, best production designer and best composer honours. Another martial-arts epic and the world’s first such 3-D flick, The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate by Tsui Hark, won the best visual effects and best costume designer awards.

Scheduled to begin filming in mid 2012 for release at the end of 2013, the producers describe Inferno as the first of its kind. “There is yet to be a fire disaster film in 3D made anywhere in the world, we have the courage to try,” said producer and Universe COO Alvin Lam

[T]he film documents the hilarious story of four strangers who meet one another when buying a car. The film touches upon a number of hot issues within modern society, including the license plate lottery, car-sharing, the odd/even license plate restriction plan and online shopping.

Canadian broadcaster Omni Television has hired former Chinese national basketball team player and basketball commentatorWeiping Zhang to call its first-ever NBA game in the Mandarin language whenJeremy Lin and the New York Knicks play the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

The 3rd Golden Broom Awards took place Saturday afternoon, doling out 13 Golden Brooms in total. Lacking in attendance at the award ceremony were movie stars.

Famous mainland actor Sun Honglei was awarded the most disappointing actor for his character as renowned ancient strategist Sun Bin in The Warring States. A-list Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung won the most disappointing actress for both her performances in Legendary Amazons and Treasure Hunt.

The Flowers of War, nominated at the Golden Globes, was given a special jury’s version of “the most disappointing movie” award.

Wong Jing revealed that Huang Xiaoming has joined the cast of “Once Upon a Time in Shanghai” with Chow Yun-Fat and Sammo Hung. Both Chow and Huang have played the lead character, Hui Man Keung, in TV series versions of the story. Yuan Quan (Yolanda Yuan) and Yuan Li were also named as joining the cast. A Lunar New Year release is planned.

Wei, one of Taiwan’s most commercially and critically successful directors, received the news in the middle of the Asian night. He was unsure why Warriors had made the shortlist while the rest of East Asia is staying home. Asian films played no part in any major category last year.

“The Great Magician” debuted with $11.55 million over four days and managed to wrestle the first place from the highest-grossing hit of the year 2011″The Flowers of War”. “Magician”is the latest film directed by Derek Yee, who is good at balancing commercial success with artistic integrity very successfully.

Over the past year, three small-budget movies, Eternal Moment, The Piano in a Factory and Love is Not Blind, flexed their competitive muscle by attracting audiences and critical praise.

According to Chen Shan, professor at the Beijing Film Academy, the allure of small-budget films in the era of big-budget blockbusters is their ingenuity.

“Because their original cost is much lower, they can be more flexible with their themes. They dare to try something different from the mainstream, while blockbusters have to be more cautious,” he said to the Global Times.

Singapore director Jack Neo is evidently sticking to his winning formula - fresh-faced teen actors, heart-breaking family drama and a healthy dose of social commentary in his latest directorial offering, We Not Naughty.

Donnie Yen, Vincent Zhao, Jing Tian, Zhang Hanyu, Yang Kun attended the Beijing launch of a new Clarence Fok film (Chinese title, Special Status). Donnie Yen will action direct as well as produce. Peter Pau is the cinematographer for the film.

Maggie Cheung said, “Either they are ones that love Wong Kar-wai and are just in that world or the ones go for Jackie Chan, you know. And I think they’re both as strong as each other actually, coming from, I’ve done both and I think it’s part of it. I just can’t think of Hong Kong cinema without one or the other, the action and the more mellow dramas or the more personal films.”

Zhang Ziyi has been reportedly confirmed as joining Jang Dong-gun in Heo Jin-ho’s remake of Dangerous Liaisons for a RMB$20 million fee. Unofficial reports have Cecilia Cheung joining for a RMB$16 millon fee. Filming is set to begin in September and the story has been reset in Shanghai. (Sina), 2, 3

Lu Chuan’s The Last Supper (aka King’s Feast) may be in serious trouble as major investor, Stellar Media, has reportedly pulled out. The reason is unclear but a number of reasons have been suggested: Stellar is focusing on another project, Peter Chan’s Guillotines, which has incurred additions expenses due to the shuffle of directors (Teddy Chen for Andrew Lau); Stellar was unhappy with the choice of one of the key roles, He Du Jean as the concubine; the film has also been in conflict/competition with a similar film, Daniel Lee’s White Vengeance. Lu Chuan and Stellar chief, Qin Hong, have engaged in a war of words via Weibo. (Sina), 2

Film director and producer Ng See-yuen said: “Her achievement not only gives her center stage at the top-tier film festival, it also raises the world’s awareness of Hong Kong’s film industry, especially for female actresses.”

Seizing on the ongoing world banking crisis to add spin to an otherwise ho-hum crime story, Hong Kong helmer Johnnie To finds greed to be the root of all evil in his patchy “Life Without Principle.” [HKMDBNews-reprint]

There are some good ideas knocking around in Hong Kong genre auteur Johnnie To’s multi-strand financial crisis dramedy- but they’re swamped by an inept script that keeps getting bogged down in details and forgetting the big dramatic picture. [HKMDBNews-reprint]

As Taiwanese enthusiastically flock to the cinema for “Seediq Bale,” the biggest blockbuster this summer, reactions to the film from China had been far more muted and critical ahead of its release earlier this week.

Deanie Ip and Ann Hui also accepted the Equal Opportunity Award at the close of the Venice Film Festival from Rosalba Veltri, Director General for Equality and Equal Opportunities. The prize goes to the work which best represents the official selection of a complaint or a message of hope with respect to the issue of discrimination, intolerance, inequality, social or gender.(Source) Andy Lau had rushed back to Hong Kong and missed the closing ceremony and awards announcements.

Cecilia Cheung appeared as a guest on the catwalk in a fall and winter fashion show in Wan Chai, Hong Kong this weekend. And, according to an Oriental Daily report, she and husband Nicholas Tse have reached a final divorce agreement and settlement after a 16 hour negotiation with lawyers. Child custody and property distributions issues have been reached and the agreement has been sealed. Elsewhere, Cecilia is under fire by mainland publicity director for not fulfilling her contractual to promote Treasure Inn on the mainland. So far, she has skipped the MV rollout and premieres in Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Guangzhou. Her company reps defend her and say Cecilia has met her obligations with a March press conference appearance.

According to Hong Kong media reports, Donnie is weighing an offer to appear in producer Avi Lerner’s The Expendables 2. (HunanTV)

Carina Lau, Edison Chen

Carina Lau posted a photo of herself with Edison over the weekend, with the following, “You are a great person. Life is always tough. You got to have faith in yourself.” Netizens figured out that the locale was in Shanghai where Edison attended a club opening and sang three songs before departing. (Sina),

Relocated from flat and empty Texas to hilly and vacant China, Zhang’s film has a lot of fun with the original material, along with some smiles at the expense of the director’s own style. But the pacing is too deliberate, and much of the humor doesn’t translate; the result is a would-be farce that’s more droll than uproarious.

Resisting his long-time penchant for dazzling, picture-perfect visual effects and dropping the political edge in his early movies, top Chinese film director Zhang Yimou has recreated a pure love story on the silver screen in a simple and direct way.

Jackie Chan brewing up another donation-gate? Inquiries have revealed that Jackie’s 2009 promise to donate funds from Little Big Soldier box office for the reconstruction of a Beichuan Middle School destroyed by the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan has so far been not met. Jackie Chan and Li Yuchan visited Beichuan on the first anniversary of the earthquake and made his pledge then. A search of the online website listing donors turned up nothing for Jackie Chan or his various other names, Sing Long, Chan Kong, etc. Jackie Chan’s Charitable Foundation confirmed that no record of a donation to Beichuan has been made. (Xinhua)

Louis Koo’s agent tried to clarify earlier reports that the star would be out of commission for 9-12 months. He said that the actor would not completely suspend working after surgery for that length of time, more likely one month for rest and recovery. (Sina)

Francis had flown in from the Mainland where he is filming Warring States. To minimize court time, Francis pled guilty to a lesser charge of ’wounding’. Mitigating circumstances were that his wife was being bullied and the victim did not suffer permanent damage, so Francis hoped for a lenient sentence. The magistrate fined him HK$10,000 and warned him to be less reckless. The other party wanted compensation damages but was referred to file a claim in civil court. (Sina), 2

Plans to turn the late action star Bruce Lee’s former residence into his museum have prompted neighbours and the peace-loving pair of Chow Yun-Fat and wife Jasmine Tan to find another place to call home.

Spotted outside a Hong Kong Jockey Club event, Stephen Chow said he will begin shooting a film next year. A noted bicycling enthusiast often seen riding about the city, reporters suggested a Shaolin Bicycle film would be appropriate. Asked if he was taking advantage of the real estate market to make big money, Chow was evasive. (Sina)

Ann Hui has not decided whether a kissing scene between Vivian Chow and Chan Wei-Ting will be necessary. (Sina)

Aaron Kwok

Josie Ho

Josie, Aaron, Director Roy Chow, Christine To (writer)

Murderer aka Crime and Punishment promotion in Guangzhou. The ending was changed and the violence toned down in order to play in the Mainland. Josie Ho hoped that her Dream Homes would be accepted for screening with edits from director Pang Ho-Cheung. (Sina)(Xinhua)

Actress Zhao Wei said, “I have dressed like a man before, but it was all about being funny. This time, I have to actually perform like a man. I’m not sure if the audience will think I’m really manly in this film. Director Ma has been devoted in sculpting my part and Chen Kun’s role. So the movie is going to be very romantic.”CCTV: Stephen Fung’s Jump

Hong Kong actor, singer, model, writer and film director Stephen Fung’s third directorial effort “Jump” will come out soon to be screened for the year-end season. Fung has recently embarked on an intensive promotional campaign around China in hopes that it will help his movie “Jump” over some fierce box office competition…